Date: 2008-11-07 20:02 Subject: (no subject) Security: Public

I'm back from the US of A, with some pictures, some nice memories and a lot of work ahead of me... And on Sunday, the choir is competing in the semi-finals of Choir of the Year. Wish us luck! It's a strange sight, to see all these grown-ups so very nervous for a competition; I've only ever done it while I was still in a girls' choir, and nerves seemed to come more easily to me then than now. 

I'm hoping to get more time on Monday to tell a Tale of Conventions Past (and Future, apparently - I have until Wednesday to finish an abstract...) and show you all some pictures from our trip; I've got some especially nice ones from Alcatraz and Yosemite National Park. For now, I wish you all a great weekend! (I'm going to cuddle up with the Fiancé and watch Good Night, And Good Luck - hope you all have an equally nice Friday!)

Date: 2008-10-11 11:40 Subject: (no subject) Security: Public

We're slowly getting around to telling people the good news. Yesterday, I organized a small drink for my colleagues (we usually have a drink on Friday evenings to start the weekend on the right foot ;-) and one of them gave me the garter she wore at her wedding for my "something old". I was really touched! It was wrapped in an empty box of pipette tips - probably just what she had on hand, but I loved that too! She's one of the colleagues I'm leaving for San Fransisco with in a week and a half - I'm sure we'll be having a blast!

I'm still getting used to the idea of getting married... But I'm very excited about it all, too!

Meanwhile, we had an incredibly busy week: on Monday, the choir rehearsal was even more difficult than normal - we're trying to get ready for the semifinals of Choir of the Year, so our conductor is very strict, even more so than normal. On Tuesday, the Fiancé and I went to a dance class - it's something I've always wanted to do, and he promised he'd take me when we were getting married... We had a good time; we learned the basics of a swing and a merengue (which we both didn't much care for- it's basically just wiggling about) and we danced a circle dance which we already knew from the folky parties we sporadically attend. We're definitely going back for more! 

On Wednesday, I went to the Film Festival Preview of The Edge of Love, a biopic on the life of Dylan Thomas. On of the lead female roles was played by Kiera Knightley and it was set during World War II... Which made a comparison with Atonement all too easy. Unfortunately, Atonement turned out to be the winner - there were just too many tedious parts in The Edge of Love, which made it hard to really  care for the characters. And Kiera Knightley wasn't always successful in keeping her Welsh accent. Also, there was a running theme of  "eyes" which really creeped me out!

Tomorrow, we're going to a concert organized by the same Film Festival, where we'll be enjoying John Williams' music played by the Flanders Radio Orchestra. A gift from the Fiancé, no less - I'm really looking forward to it!

I hope all your weekends are as enjoyable as mine!
 

Date: 2008-10-04 21:02 Subject: (no subject) Security: Public

Life settled down a bit, so I started planning out an update-in-pictures post (since my resolution of "a photograph a day" obviously went to pot...)

In short: since my last post I went to Budapest and had a wonderful time singing Beethoven and Liszt in the middle of a huge choir 
( view of the rehearsal )

We also went sightseeing and swam in naturally heated sources under a clear blue sky (air temperature 10°C)
( I can't recommend it enough )
Then, I showed the Boyfriend where and how I lived in Lyon. He loved the city as much as I did, and no wonder:
( The wonderful Traboules (or shortcuts) in the old city )
After that (and some working in between), my friends and I flew off to Sorrento to enjoy some much-needed sun
( VIew from Capri )
Let's not forget I helped to organize a bachelorette party for my dear friend warrior_little, who by the way was the most gorgeous bride...
( ... but also made a wonderful Fiona! )
And then this happened:

I'm engaged! I'm so excited - I couldn't be happier with the man who asked me to be his wife, and I'll gladly say yes to him for the rest of my life.

I'd love to share my transformation into Bridezilla with all of you ;-)

I also took some really pretty pictures in the past year, and I still want to show those off. So, I'll consider this post my official return to lj - not as much a Potter-fan as a I used to be, but with much more to talk about!

Date: 2008-02-17 19:14 Subject: A bit of this and that Security: Public Location: the comfy chair Mood: content Music: psychedelic EVE Tags: knitting rl choir

 Aaaannd... I’m back! I realized I should have worded my New Year’s resolution a bit more carefully – such as: “blog once a week” instead of “blog every day”. Work has been insane (have frozen over 300 million cells last week – a success, but not one I wish to repeat in a hurry. Freezing cells is boring!), but there is another reason why I have been AWOL for the past couple of weeks – a reason which you can find under the cut.

Date: 2008-01-20 21:46 Subject: (no subject) Security: Public

Lj ate my post, in which I had been waxing lyrically about being elected to sing with the AGEC choir at the Budapest Spring Festival... So I'll just say: yay!!! 

Date: 2008-01-16 21:16 Subject: (no subject) Security: Public Mood: content

Today, the Boy and I went swimming for the first time in ages. It's the typical New Year's resolution, only with us it's more like picking up where we left off. Only not so much - I barely managed half a kilometer before I was exhausted.

But now, I feel extremely pleased with myself - even though I probably won't feel my arms in the morning. Luckily I won't be scraping cells until Friday!

Date: 2008-01-10 20:15 Subject: Let's go to the movies... Security: Public Mood: amused Tags: crazy stuff on the internet

 I'm on a mission to make people laugh, and thus I bring you:

Minesweeper, the movie


As found by the boyfriend on the internetz on a dreary Thursday morning.

(Dedicated to my colleague, who drove 2 hours today to collect a patient sample which turned out to contain not even enough cells to do one test, let alone the 4 or 5 she had planned. And also in memory of Minesweeper, the game, which lightened many a dull hour but which has sadly been excluded from Windows Vista.) 

Date: 2008-01-09 20:23 Subject: Some more randomosity Security: Public

- Facebook. I have an account, but I don't get it... It goes against every instinct I have on the internet: don't reveal your identity, unless to people you trust; don't put your picture up for everyone to see; and so on. Anonymity is key to my internet-experience, but I'm also curious as hell so when I received an invitation I got myself a Facebook of my own. It's still hanging out there in cyberspace (if that's a word still in use nowadays, anyway). Flinging sheep at people, even virtual ones (both sheep and people)? Really?

- The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - it's been popping up all over the place lately. I should put it on my "to read" list.

- 9th of January (hey, that's today! I only just noticed...) = Belgian release of Atonement, the movie. I really really want to go and see that one (the book swept me off my feet) - any takers?

 

Date: 2008-01-03 21:46 Subject: Post of gratefulness Security: Public Tags: real life, work

Got home at 8.35 pm today.

Spent all day scraping cells from the bottom of wells.

Realized I actually kind of love my job.

Date: 2008-01-01 18:36 Subject: Cake and penguins Security: Public Tags: pictures2008, real life, videos

Happy new year!

I hope everyone had as good a party as I had - yesterday evening we had some friends over for Coq au vin, a good chat and a game of Settlers of Catan - which degenerated into some kind of card game (which name I won't even try to translate into English - suffice it to say it wasn't quite SFW, although the game itself definitely was). I nearly won, too - but at 4.30 my mind gave up on me, causing me to lose with one lousy point. I'll be practising...

Then today we went to my home town, to celebrate with my parents and grandparents (So. Very. Tired.) A couple of gifts were exchanged, and lots of food was consumed - and courtesy of this meal, I bring you : 

Also, I spent the last part of the afternoon trying to remember the penguin's soundtrack in Mary Poppins - not for some particular reason, but it's the kind of thing that bugs me. Thank heavens for YouTube, my friend in need. If anyone should need a pick-me-up (post-party blues and all that), here it is: